Easter often equals chocolate in the minds of many people as opposed to it's religious significance held by those of the Christian faith.
The Cacao Tree was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning "God Food" hence the tree's modern generic Latin name 'Theobrama Cacao' meaning ‘Food of the Gods’.
The Cacao Tree was worshipped by the Mayan civilisation of Central America and Southern Mexico, who believed it to be of divine origin, cacao is actually a Mayan word meaning "God Food" hence the tree's modern generic Latin name 'Theobrama Cacao' meaning ‘Food of the Gods’.
The Maya brewed a spicy, bitter sweet drink by roasting and pounding the seeds of the cacao tree (cocoa beans) with maize and capsicum (chilli) peppers and letting the mixture ferment. This drink was reserved for use in ceremonies as well as for drinking by the wealthy and religious elite, they also ate a cacao porridge.
The Aztecs prized the beans so highly they used them as currency. they also regarded chocolate as an aphrodisiac and their Emperor, Montezuma reputedly drank it fifty times a day from a golden goblet and is quoted as saying of Xocolatl: "The divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue. A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day without food".
When Montezuma was defeated by Cortez in 1519 and the victorious 'conquistadors' searched his palace for the Aztec treasury expecting to find gold and silver, all they found were huge quantities of cocoa beans. The Aztec Treasury consisted, not of precious metals, but cocoa beans.
The Mayan Goddess associated with the cacao tree was Ixcacao, an Earth Goddess who was associated with fertility, as well as providing safety and security for her people. According to Mayan creation myth, there was a great flood, devastating droughts and earthquakes that destroyed the Gods' previous attempts to create a race of humans that would love them and sing songs about their glory. After all, the human race had been decimated by cataclysmic events before ... this was not the first attempt by the Gods to repopulate the world with humans who, like them. could think and speak, creatures who would be grateful to them, and honour and praise the Gods for giving them their lives.
A prayer quoted from an old Mayan legend to promote a good harvest in times of hunger goes:
Ixcanil, Goddess of Seed, hear me
Ixtoq, Goddess of Rain, help me
Ixcacau, Goddess of Chocolate, see my tears and come to my aid.
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